Archived Software rant

[HR King]

I work in human resources (duh). So, I spend every day dealing with the online systems Target has.

Seriously? They are SO AWFUL. I just don't understand why we use Windows (CE for the PDAs???) and PeopleSoft for the HR systems. They are all awful, slow, badly organized... ugh!

I just desperately want Target to get together with Apple and Google. Macs in TSC, running systems that can actually use a Google search bar. /rant

 

[Formina Sage]

Cheap. Extensible. Windows workstations were made for Active Directory, which is how corporate already administrates our access to resources based on employee numbers. I totally agree with you, Macs would be cool as hell, but a pallet full of Dell computers that they can image with their standard XP install is 5000 times easier and cheaper. Not to mention most TM's who use the computers are probably more accustomed to Windows vs. Mac.

And in the defense of the PDAs, they perform slowly because of the hardware itself, not the CE image they have installed. What solution would you rather they see implement?

 

[talan123]

I'd like them to move up to iPod's frankly. Those things have 1GHz processors, 801.11n networking chips, 256MB of memory, 3D acceleration, and a resolution that 3x's higher.

Slap a secure case with Universal Bar Code Scanner on it and you have an entire fleet of 'em.

 

[Formina Sage]

Our Red Bull vendor uses an iPhone for all the invoice stuff and stock picking, it's actually pretty cool signing my name with my finger hah. Though they paid the price for not having it in a case, some guy at another store dropped it and there's a big chip in a corner of the screen now.

 

[talan123]

Our Red Bull vendor uses an iPhone for all the invoice stuff and stock picking, it's actually pretty cool signing my name with my finger hah. Though they paid the price for not having it in a case, some guy at another store dropped it and there's a big chip in a corner of the screen now.

Heh.

You get what you pay for.

There are so many things for the iPod's, it's getting to the point that they can practically replace any hand held device. Sprint even has an accessory to turn an iPod into an iPhone on their 4G network. I desperately want an accessory that will let my iPhone turn into a channel changer.

 

[ach5063]

I work in human resources (duh). So, I spend every day dealing with the online systems Target has.

Seriously? They are SO AWFUL. I just don't understand why we use Windows (CE for the PDAs???) and PeopleSoft for the HR systems. They are all awful, slow, badly organized... ugh!

I just desperately want Target to get together with Apple and Google. Macs in TSC, running systems that can actually use a Google search bar. /rant

oh. my. GOD. You just became my new BEST FRIEND.

Don't forget about iPads and iMacs in the pharm! Heck, Throw some iPads, iPod touches and MacBooks in the Clinic pilots!

Run our POS and other stuff on some hot mac pro's in the equipment room..... omg i'd die of happiness...

 

[Formina Sage]

Pahaha keep dreaming 😛

 

[ach5063]

I'd like them to move up to iPod's frankly. Those things have 1GHz processors, 801.11n networking chips, 256MB of memory, 3D acceleration, and a resolution that 3x's higher.

Slap a secure case with Universal Bar Code Scanner on it and you have an entire fleet of 'em.

You too. <3.

Slap a card reader on it and you have a mobile express lane! Target RedCard guests only; so when they pay with their red card, their receipt is Emailed to them =D


FS; Of course; a girl can dream? xD

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

Indeed!

 

[HR King]

oh. my. GOD. You just became my new BEST FRIEND.

Don't forget about iPads and iMacs in the pharm! Heck, Throw some iPads, iPod touches and MacBooks in the Clinic pilots!

Run our POS and other stuff on some hot mac pro's in the equipment room..... omg i'd die of happiness...

I didn't forget about iPads! DTLs ARE ALREADY GETTING THEM. [!!!]

They will have target-specific apps that can access store's dtk scores, store reports, adjacency books, etc.

So, in like 6 years, maybe we -will- have iPods instead of PDAs.

 

[talan123]

You don't even need to have specific apps, you just need to have something that can read HTML. That's all the PDA's are doing and that's why they go through battery's like nothing else.

 

[Barcode]

Cheap. Extensible. Windows workstations were made for Active Directory, which is how corporate already administrates our access to resources based on employee numbers. I totally agree with you, Macs would be cool as hell, but a pallet full of Dell computers that they can image with their standard XP install is 5000 times easier and cheaper. Not to mention most TM's who use the computers are probably more accustomed to Windows vs. Mac.

And in the defense of the PDAs, they perform slowly because of the hardware itself, not the CE image they have installed. What solution would you rather they see implement?

Pretty much summed up what I was gonna say 🙂

 

[RednTacky]

I'd love the idea of a switch to iPod Touches. If anyone has ever been to an Apple Store, you've seen the attachment they have hooked onto their iPod Touches that lets you scan barcodes. However, that's Apple, and there would be many more headaches with an iPod Touch.

1) The battery. It's not removable. To replace the battery after it's worn down means replacing the device itself. And say the battery is close to dying in the middle of your shift, but there's no more iPods available for use. You can't just switch it out.

2) The redesigns. The external scanner case attachment that Apple has at their stores are designed for the current generation iPod Touch (I would imagine). Say #1 happens here, and you have to replace the iPod Touch down the road. The model that works with the scanners has been turned into a device the thickness of a credit card, and isn't compatible with the previous generation scanner case!

3) Software. Yeah, you could just stick with the current set up and have it access the same HTML page that our current PDAs access. But those pages are designed for our PDAs... they're not designed for Mobile Safari.

4) Theft. Think about why no one steals our current PDAs. Because they're huge, clunky, and not very appealing machines to have other than at our job. And even if you don't mean to steal anything, iPod Touches are easily pocketable and would wind up at home by accident countless times.

As much as I'd like the switch (and how good of an idea it would seem to be), it's just not feasible. One thing I don't get is how our current PDAs cost so damn much. Someone is making a killing off retail IT budgets.

 

[Barcode]

the LPDAs are fine tbh. They seem pretty fast to me 🙂

 

[Juan_Valdez]

I can't compare it with other companies, but it's almost unbelievable how bad Target's HR software is. Integration and consistency seem to be lacking. It's fairly reliable, though.

 

[talan123]

I can't compare it with other companies, but it's almost unbelievable how bad Target's HR software is. Integration and consistency seem to be lacking. It's fairly reliable, though.

If it's any help, at least Peoplesoft got into a bidding war with Oracle in a race to the bottom to provide corporate with the crappiest software.

OK, not much help but at least we can take satisfaction in the fact that the people who sold the software are now unemployed because it was such a crappy deal for both sides.

 

[HR King]

I just wrote the schedule today. Wednesdays make me want to call PeopleSoft and tell them how I really feel.